Holiday Traditions

Make Christmas Ornaments. It's been our thing since Kayla could hold a paint brush. We used to go to a local ceramic/paint studio until I realized how stupidly expensive it was and that I could do that shit at home so instead of spending over $45, I now spend $7 thanks to Michaels coupons and the dollar store. It's so much fun pulling out and looking at the ornaments Kayla made in previous years.Christmas baking. I love baking with Kayla. To be honest, all she really cares about it licking the spatula and wearing her apron but I don't care; we blast Christmas music, she's my "helper" and this year, she wants to bake a Christmas cake with buttercream frosting and crushed candy canes.Traditions with friends. My friend usually hosts an impromptu kids cookie bake so this year, I'll be bringing ornaments so they can also paint and bake while the moms kick back with wine help out.

European Christmas traditions. My husband is Romanian and they grew up with different traditions - they put up the Christmas tree on Dec 24 and opened up all gifts on Christmas eve. Kayla is not down with waiting until Dec 24 to put up the tree but is definitely on board with opening up her gifts that day. We spend Christmas eve at his parents place stuffing our faces (it's a serious Christmas spread) while the kids go crazy, put on "Christmas shows", tear into the gifts and then have a "who can put on their new Christmas pajamas the fastest" contest.

Christmas day. Christmas day is our day. We leisurely get up (or as leisurely as we can given Kayla is so excited to open presents) but we make it a rule not to get out of bed until 7am, then head downstairs in our jammies and open gifts. My husband starts cooking us his annual Christmas breakfast feast while we lounge around playing with our gifts.

The rest of the day we spend in our jammies, watching Christmas movies and doing whatever we want. Kayla and I will bake or she'll play outside in the snow...it's a fantastic day of relaxation and fun.

Boxing day shopping at Michaels. On Dec 26, I'm out of the house by 630am on my way to Michaels. I'm not sure how this started but for the last 4 years or so, I arrive at 7am at Michaels to score some Boxing day deals and I'm usually the only person in the store besides the staff because fuck crowds. Most of the time I shop for next Christmas but I'll pick up a few cute things for myself and Kayla.

My sister comes over with her family for a huge dinner so pretty much it's a night of stuffing our faces again, kids playing with their gifts and having a grand ol' time.

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I love your Christmas traditions. I love how your hubby's family celebrates on Christmas Eve. I have a few friends whose family also do that and I think it's pretty neat. The older I get the less, I want to be running around every where on Christmas Day. And sadly, I have to work the day after Christmas so I really want to have a more low key Christmas.

Ah, I love all your holiday traditions. They are so important! I can only remember a handful of the presents I received as a child, but all the family Christmas traditions I remember vividly. Every Christmas Eve we go to my Grandma's house and one year my cousin held it instead. And we were all confused. I mean it was nice but it felt wrong. So back we went to Grandma's house. :D I wish my Christmas Day was as relaxing. My Mom hosts Christmas dinner (at Noon) so we get up early, after a late at Grandma's house of stuffing our faces, presents and Church, start cooking. In some ways, it is tradition and I'd probably be miss it, but your relaxing day sounds wonderful, especially after talking to my Mom last night who was in full panic mode. :D

This is our first year where it will just be the three of us on Christmas Day, and I'm pumped about it. I hope I can get Sheffield into some Christmassy things - he loved decorating the gingerbread house.

I want to start a cookie tradition, that sounds fun and all the cool kids seem to be doing it. Christmas is family day for us too, and other than that I don't really have Christmas traditions. So basically I'm lame. HA.

I love all your traditions!! My mom and I painted ornaments one year and it is one of my most favorite memories. I love hanging them on my tree now and thinking back on that time. So special!!!

We have always gotten ready to travel on the 26th but we are staying in town this year so I plan to take full advantage of the sales!!! Bring on Boxing Day! I hope you have an amazing time with your family. What does M make for breakfast?

Love all these traditions! I love baking and making ornaments with my boys too and it sounds like we're so similar because I head out to hobby lobby and Michael's the day after too! #neverpayfullprice lol Merry Christmas to you all!